Combination shipping container board and display board for toy airplanes and the like



June 10, 1958 E. HERDKLOTZ 2,838,166

COMBINATION PP CONTAINER BO AND DISPLAY BOARD TOY AIRPLANEIS AND LIKE Filed Aug. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Earl W Herczzzoiz.

June 1 1958 E. w. HERDKLOTZ 2,838,166

COMBINATION SHIPPING CONTAINER BOARD AND DISPLAY BOARD FOR TOY AIRPLANES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent COMBINATION SHIPPING CONTAINER BOARD AND DISPLAY BGARD FOR AND THE LIKE Earl W. Herdklotz, Rockford, 11]., assignor to A & E Tool and Gage Co.'(Inc.), Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 4 Application August 25, 1955, Serial No. 530,603 3 Clainis. c1. 206-4519)- This invention relates to a combination shipping container board and display board for use with toy airplanes and the like.

Manufacturers of toy airplanes have found it extremely diflicult to ship the product without having too high a percentage of breakage and damaged merchandise due to the individual toys breaking loose from their fastenings in the shipping container in transit. Itis, therefore, the principal object of my invention not only to solve that problem by the provision of a shipping container board in which the individual toys can be securely and getting it ready for selling.

An important feature of the combination board is the provision of theboxed-in back portion thereof defined by down-turned marginal flanges on the four sides thereof all securely connected together at the four corners of the board, the flanges being of a width in relation to the length of the wings of the planes thrust through the slits to provide adequate clearance for the tips of these wings with respect to the bottom of the shipping container in the shipment of the toys, and also provide similar clearance therefor with respect to a wall when the board is used for display purposes thereafter, the shipping container being, of course, provided of sufficient depth overall to accommodate the complete wing span with a little room to spare.

The invention is illustrated in the. accompanying drawings, in whichi i V Fig. 1 is a plan view of a shipping container with the greater portion of the cover broken away to disclose the combination shipping board and display board with toy airplanes mounted thereon in the slits provided therefor;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in cross-section on'th'e line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '3 isa sid'eview of the upper end portion of the combination shipping board and display board showing the unfoldable tab and also theinter-fitting tongue and slit method of interconnecting the down-turned flanges at the corners of the board;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the combination board showing the tab unfolded for use of the board as a display, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one end portion of a shipping container of m-odfied or alternative design.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in these views.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 6 designates a rectangular paperboard carton of appreciable depth providing a bottom 7, side walls 8, and end walls 9, the box having a cover it) with downwardly projecting TOY AIRPLANES 2,838,166 Patented June 10, 1958 marginal edge portions 11 fitting closely on the outside of the side and end walls 8 and 9 of the box. The combination shipping board and display board of my invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 12. It, like the box 6, is made of cardboard of suitable weight and firmness and is made to fit fairly closely inside the box 6, as appears in the drawing. On two sides, the board 1' has downwardly bent flange portions 13 and 1 4 and likewise on one end it has a downwardly bent flange 15, but at what is destined to be the upper end of the board 12 it-has a downwardly bent flange portion 16 that has a. large foldable tab 17 forming an extension of the end thereof and adapted to be folded flat against the end of the board 12 when it is packed in the box 6, but unfolded to right angle relationship to the flange 16, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, when the tab is to be used in hanging the board one wall for display purposes, the tab 17 having on its front'face suitable advertising, as indicated at 18 in Fig. 4, pertaining, of course, to whatever toys are being displayed. In the present case, the toys are monoplane model airplanes, as indicated at 19, and each toy has one of its wings 20 thrust with a tight friction fit through a slit 21 provided therefor in the board 12, the slits 21 being provided in a predetermined spaced parallel relationship. The slits 21 are all inclined at an acute angle to the vertical center line of the board, for two reasons, firstly, utilization of all of the space to best advantage so that there is minimum waste space, as is evident in 'Fig. l, where the tail portions 22 of one row of toys are seen to come between the nose portions 23 of the next row, and so on, and secondly, the inclination of the planes in the attitude of dividing is, of course, well calculated to arouse the greater interest of youngsters for whom these toys are being displayed. The elevator tab projections 24 on the tail ends of the planes are also thrust with a tight friction fit through other shorter slit-s 25 provided in spaced parallel relationship.

to the slits 21. The fitting of one wing 20 and one elevator tab 24 on each plane in a pair of slits 21 and 25 is more than adequate to provide secure anchorage for the toy in shipment, especially when the toy is enclosed from above and below, as clearly appears in Fig. 2, by the cover 10 and bottom 7 of the box so that it cannot shift either way. The snug fit of the board 12 in the box is, of course, also an important feature.

At each of the four corners of the board 12 a tongue 26 is provided on the end of one flange, like 16 in Fig. 3, for example, arranged to be entered through a slit 27 in the adjacent flange, like the flange 14, for example, the tongue 26 having a holding projection 28 on its outer end which after entry of the end portion of the tongue through the slit 27 serves to anchor the tongue in place. In that way it is unnecessary to provide some other more expensive means of fastening the corners intact. The board 12 will therefore hold its shape nicely when it is used for display purposes, and, of course, the secure fastening 'of the corners also helps to make the shipping box 6 that much stronger to withstand rough handling.

While I have disclosed a box 6 with a removable cover- 10, it should be understood that I may provide a collapsible box of the kind shownat 6 in Fig. 5 which, before it is unfolded and made up for use, lies flat and therefore takes up very little storage space. This box 6', it will be understood, has the same height overall inside between the top wall 10 and bottom wall 7' as the box 6 has between the cover 10 and bottom 7, so that the board 12 with a set of toys 19 mounted on it may be slipped into the box 6' endwise through one open end into abutment with the other end that has been previously closed by the folding inwardly of the flaps provided on that end. The flaps on the far end it will be is understood are the same as the flaps on the end that appears in Fig. 5, namely, two side flaps 29 that fold inwardly toward one another into coplanar relationship, a top flap 30 that folds downwardly and has a foldable edge portion 31 that will 'fit in under the edges of flaps 29 and against the bottom wall 7, and a bottom flap 32 that folds up against the back of flap 30 to fasten it in place by the entry of a T-shaped end tab portion 33 in a slit 34 provided therefor at the end of the top wall 10'.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In combination, a generally rectangular shipping boxproviding spaced substantially parallel housing walls, a generally rectangular combination shipping and display board of paperboard material fitting closely within said box and supported in closer spaced parallel relation to one of said housing walls than the other by means of flanges on the edge portions of the board, said board having slits provided therein in a predetermined spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of toy airplanes disposed in parallel relation almost wholly between said board and the farther housing wall with their wings and elevators substantially at right angles to the board, the Wings on one side being thrust with a tight friction fit through said slits for the complete support of the toy airplanes solely by said board and so that the tips of these wings are disposed adjacent the closer housing wall, the wings on the opposite side projecting toward and terminating adjacent the farther housing wall, whereby all of said toy airplanes are caged between said housing walls against accidental displacement from the slits in said board while 'housed in said box during shipment, said board having other slits provided therein in a predetermined spaced relation to the first mentioned slits in which the elevators on one side are thrust with a tight friction fit for more secure fastening of the toy airplanes on the board, said board by'virtue of its said flanges which are adapted to serve to space the body portion of the board from a wall similarly as from the wall of the box being adapted also to be hung on a wall to support the toy airplanes for display purposes when said board is removed from said box, said board having a suspension means provided on one end for mounting thereof on a wall.

2. In combination, a generally rectangular shipping box providing spaced substantially parallel housing walls,

a generally rectangular board of paperboard material fitting closely Within said box and supported in closer spaced parallel relation to one of said housing walls than the other by means of flanges on the edge portions of the board, said board having slits provided therein in a predetermined spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of toy air planes disposedin parallel relation almost wholly between said board and the farther housing wall with their wings and elevators substantially at right angles to the board, the wings on one side being thrust with a tight friction fit through said slits for the complete support of the toy airplanes solely by said board and so that the tips of these wings are disposed adjacent the closer housing Wall, the wings on the opposite side projecting toward and terminating adjacent the farther housing wall, whereby all of said toy airplanes are caged between said housing walls against accidental displacement from the slits in said board While housed in said box during shipment, said board having other slits provided therein in a predetermined spaced relation to the first mentioned slits in which the elevators on one side are thrust with a tight friction fit for more secure fastening of the toy airplanes on the board, said flanges in addition to supporting said board so that its body portion is spaced from the near wall serving by frictional engagement with the other walls alongside the flanges to reinforce the box and resist displacement of the board.

3. In combination, a generally rectangular shipping box providing spaced substantially parallel housing walls, a generally rectangular combination shipping and display board of paperboard material fitting closely Within said box and supported in closer spaced parallel relation to one of said housing walls than the other by means of flanges on the edge portions of the board, said board having slits provided therein in a predetermined spaced parallel relation, and a plurality of toy airplanes disposed in parallel relation almost wholly between said board and the farther housing wall with their wings and elevators substantially at right angles to the board, the wings on one side being thrust with a tight friction fit through said slits for the complete support of the toy airplanes solely by said board and so that the tips of these wings are disposed adjacent the closer housing wall, the wings on the opposite side projecting toward and terminating adjacent the farther housing wall, whereby all of said toy airplanes are caged between said housing walls against accidental displacement from the slits in said board while housed in said box during shipment, said board having other slits provided therein in a predetermined spaced relation to the first mentioned slits in which the elevators on one side are thrust with a tight friction fit for more secure fastening of the toy airplanes on the board, said flanges in addition to supporting said board so that its body portion is spaced from the near wall serving by frictional engagement with the other walls alongside the flanges to reinforce the box and resist displacement of the board, one of said flanges having a flap extension foldable into abutment with the flange for compact storage alongside it inside the shipping box and unfoldable to a position substantially at right angles thereto, said flap extension being adapted to serve as a hanger for suspension of the board as a display on a wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,457,361 Gilbert June 5, 1923 1,493,718 Zalkind May 13, 1924 1,682,069 Conway Aug. 28, 1928 1,762,923 Fegely June 10, 1930 2,008,664 Dowst July 23, 1935 2,033,020 White et a1 Mar. 3, 1936 2,219,183 Hartnett et al. Oct. 22, 1940 2,393,103 Groedel Ian. 15, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 276,459 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1927 681,267 Great Britain Oct. 22, 1952 

